Spreader with self-locking spring



March 30, 1965 p. SPEICHER 3,175,739

SPREADER WITH SELF-LOCKING SPRING Filed April 26, 1963 INVENTOR.

P/WA 555/0956 Arne/vars.

ited States Patent 3,175,739 SPREADER WITH SELF-LOCKING SPRING Paul L. Speicher, Urbana, Ind, assignor to The Cyclone Seeder (10., Inc, Urbana, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Filed Apr. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 275,895 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-342) This invention relates to a self-locking spring, and more particularly to a spring element which may be engaged with a shaft and secured thereto without the necessity for using cotter pins or similar fastening devices.

A specific object of the invention is the provision of such a self-locking spring device in association with a rotary member, such as an agitator, particularly adaptable to hand or power propelled spreaders.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coil spring element adapted to be employed in combination with a shaft having a semi-circular end, with the end coils of the spring so arranged as closely to conform to and clamp the spring to the semi-circular end of the shaft without the necessity of employing cotter pins, clamping rings or other similar devices.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a spring locking device wherein the other end of the coil may comprise of itself a finger type agitator, or wherein any desired rotary implement may be secured to the other end.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a self-locking spring device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which will retain its position on the shaft, but which at the same time may be readily removed by the exertion of suflicient manual force.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred form of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a spreader, showing the self-locking spring of the instant invention as holding a rotary agitating finger in position therein.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIGURE 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, there is generally indicated at a manually propelled spreader, which may be of any desired conventional construction. In this form of the invention the spreader includes a support 11 which carries a hopper 12 having a bottom Wall 13 with an opening 14 therein. The opening 14 is controlled by means of a slide valve 15 which is controlled through a cable 16 from a handle 17 at the top of a manual propulsion handle 18. A valve adjustment control 16a forming no part of the instant invention may be provided if desired. The material to be spread falls from the opening 14 to a spreader plate 19, mounted above an axle 20, which carries wheels 21. A vertical shaft 22 is driven by gearing 23 contained in a housing 24 by rotation of the wheels 21. The upper end of shaft 22 extends through a bushing 25 in the bottom 13 of hopper 12 and carries an agitating finger 26 which is locked to the top of shaft 22 by means of the locking device of the instant invention, which is generally indicated at 27.

The top portion of shaft 22 is split and cut away as at 28 to provide a top portion 29 which has a fiat face 30 and a semi-circular face 31. In this illustrative embodiment of the instant invention agitator finger 26 comprises the bottom or end portion of a relatively large coil 32 of a coil spring, the next coil 33 of which is of slightly less diameter, the coil 33 being integral with a plurality of coils 34 which tightly engage about shaft 22 below or inwardly of the cutaway portion 28.

The penultimate coil 35 includes a semi-circular portion 36 which extends around the rounded portion 31 of the top 29 of shaft 22 and a straight portion 37 which closely engages the flat or straight side 30 of upper portion 22. This coil is topped by a loop which includes a first straight side 40 which extends outwardly at an obtuse angle to straight side 37 and comprises an extension of arcuate side 36 of the coil 35. The straight portion 40 terminates in a reverted end 41 from which a second straight side 42 extends rearwardly at an acute angle to straight side 37 and parallel to side 40, and terminates as at 43 beyond the end 29 of shaft 22. Side 42 engages in a notch 44 which is formed in end portion 29 in horizontal alignment with the cutaway 28, and extends at an obtuse angle to fiat face 30. The notch 44 provides a positive lock for the locking device 27 and prevents both lateral and longitudinal displacement thereof. The space between the parallel sides 42 and 40 is slightly less than the diameter of the shaft so that when the straight portion 37 engages straight side 30, the side portion 40 abuts the end of straight side 30 at a point adjacent its juncture with arcuate side 31, and serves, with side portion 42 and notch 44, clampingly to hold the device 27 against rotation. The constriction of the spring is such that linear movement on the shaft is retarded by the tight spring coil engagement and precluded by the engagement of side 42 with the notch 44.

The arrangement is thus such that the agitator finger 26 is held securely on the end of shaft 22 and rotates therewith, and is similarly precluded from accidental disengagement without the necessity of using cotter pins, spring collars, or other similar devices heretofore employed for such purposes.

While the device of the instant invention has herein been described as particularly suitable for use with a rotary agitator finger, it is to be understood that it may be employed for any desired purpose wherein it is desired to hold an implement for rotation with a shaft, and against linear displacement on the shaft.

It will also be seen that there is herein provided a device which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In a spreader, a hopper having a dispensing opening in the bottom thereof, a rotatable vertically disposed shaft projecting upwardly through said opening and having the section adjacent the upper end thereof within said hopper, said shaft having a cutaway portion adjacent the upper end of semi-circular cross sectional configuration and being provided with a notch extending at an obtuse angle to the flat side thereof adjacent the base of the cutaway portion, a self-locking spring comprised of a plurality of coils closely surrounding a round portion of said shaft adjacent the cutaway portion, one end coil having a straight side and a semi-circular side engaging closely about the semicircular end portion of said shaft, and a spring portion having a first straight portion extending 3,175,739 3 from one end of said semi-circular end portion at an obtuse angle to one end of said straight side, said spring portion being reverted and having a second straight portion parallel to said first straight portion extending toward the other end of said straight side at an acute angle and en- 5 plement being in sweeping relation with said hopper bottom responsive to rotation of said shaft.

References Qitedl by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS gaging in said notch, said straight portion being spaced 544,966 8/95 Davis 222-342 X apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of said 1 9/ 56 G d s et a1 222242 shaft to clampingly engage one end of the straight side 2,833,445 5/53 SPieTS 222-442 X of said semi-circular portion of said shaft and said notch, 9 3 6/60 Shefel X and an implement secured to the other end coil, said im- 10 LOUIS DEMBQ Primary Examiner, 

